You throw the ball. You catch the ball. You hit the ball…Of course, baseball fans know that this line from Bull Durham is far from true, part of the humor of the movie and a huge part of the fun of the game. This blog is a space to talk about baseball, being a baseball fan, all of those things that make the game fun and the Angels, because they make baseball fun for me.

A Melange of Weekend Thoughts About the Angels and Otherwise

Trade deadlines. Unexpected fireworks at the Sunday Angels, Tigers game. And an anniversary. It’s been quite the full weekend. Too full to cram everything into one coherent post so, in no particular order, here are some of the things on my mind:

I am pleased the Angels didn’t make a move before the non-waiver trade deadline. We could certainly use a reliable bat, but I didn’t see anyone would really help the Angels sufficiently enough to justify what it would cost us to land him. No trading the rookies!! Or the near rookies for that matter!

The announcers on the national broadcasts, be it ESPN or Fox, are terrible and one of the back-handed perks of being a smaller market team is not having to deal with them very often. On the flip side of this equation, hearing someone new drool in surprise over Peter Bourjos’ speed in the outfield, Mark Trumbo’s bat, Howie Kendrick’s clutch glove and the like never gets old.

If he had to get tossed, I wish Jered Weaver had gotten himself tossed one inning earlier because that finally got the offense awake and fired up enough to score some runs. With one more inning, who knows what could have happened.

About Weaver getting tossed. Usually the amount of trash talk that goes on during a game is entertaining and probably helps guys keep a competitive edge. When it gets carried away, however, I feel the urge to knock heads together and tell everyone involved to grow up and just play baseball. This should have been over and done with after Weaver barked at Magglio Ordonez (who likely was just waiting to see if it was fair) and he came by the mound a few innings later for a little chat. But then things had to get even more stupid. Carlos Guillen was no more waiting to make sure the ball was fair than Weaver accidentally let the ball slip at Alex Avila’s head. Enough already!

Of course, I finally sat down with the game just in time for the real blowup in the 7th inning and had to catch up on the preliminaries leading up to it after the fact. Seth and I have been trying to get in extra long bike rides every other Sunday or so, today we tackled the San Gabriel River Trail…all of it. 38.9 miles from the trail head one long block above our house in Azusa down the river all the way to the ocean in Seal Beach. It was absolutely awesome!! But grueling enough that I didn’t have it in me to tack on one last mile’s tour around the parking lot after we left the trail to make it an even 40. Today, my jurisdiction ended right here, when the trail did. Next time.

In his post game interview today, Justin Verlander referred to Erik Aybar’s bunt “attempt” in the 8th inning as bush league. No, sweetheart, that wasn’t bush league. Your throw to first? Now that was bush league. I’m sorry, but I have never understood the “unwritten rule” against busting up a no-hitter with a bunt. Is the team being no hit supposed to just roll over and let the opposing pitcher have the no hitter? Hell no. That cheapens the whole concept. A baseball team should continue trying to win, no hitter or not, by whatever means they have at their disposal. And if you are a Cy Young candidate caliber pitcher in the middle of a no hitter, and a guy who routinely leads the league in bunt singles comes up to bat, and you aren’t prepared for him to do just that, is that really something you want to admit to in public, let alone gripe about? Truly it defies logic.

Nothing in the above rant is meant to take away from Verlander’s amazing pitching performance. His fastball was faster in the 8th inning than it was in the 4th and every bit as accurate! There is a reason he has garnered all of the accolades he has this season, he’s earned every single one. I put Jered Weaver in the same category. However on Sunday Verlander was the better pitcher and Weaver let himself get rattled a little too easily, provoked or not.

Mike Trout shared the outfield with Peter Bourjos on Wednesday for Santana’s No Hitter and then pinch hit for Bobby Abreu on Friday…and hasn’t played since. I don’t think this, the not playing much part, is the usual plan for 19 year old prospects with promise and for good reason. Trout needs to play almost every day. So if we’re not going to play him a few times a week in more than a pinch hitter role – and I do understand that our outfield is crowded and Trout has a few things to work on – then send him down to AAA until September.

And last, but certainly not least, a personal note to my wonderful husband where I know he will read it: Happy 12th Anniversary! From the first date that adamantly was not a date at all – until it absolutely was! – to now, hands down, this is the best. Sumer fling. Ever! And we’re just getting started. :)

9 Comments

Congrats on your anniversary! Your trail ride sounds awesome. Having a trail head in your backyard, even better. Got a little wild yesterday, yes, but I think the worst is yet to come as Weaver is bound to miss a start. Not real good timing.
–Jeff

Thanks Jeff! Yes, having the trail head up the street is wonderful. I am trying not to think about the suspension. At least it will come against Seattle if it’s the next start. I miss the days when the umpires stayed out of this stuff unless it became a brawl and the pitchers just policed things themselves. If this scenario had arisen with say Nolan Ryan and Hershiser on the mounds, the problems would have been wrapped up after the initial exchange and with a lot less whining on both sides.

I don’t think Weaver deserves a six gamer. I think it stated as basically a mis-understanding and the game was just intense with two aces facing off, and two teams in a division race. It was a good series, though.
I see Trout was sent back down, but I’m sure we’ll see him back in the bigs soon.
Tigers will try to beat up on the Rangers a bit for you, too…
–Mike
‘Minoring In Baseball’

Mike – I’m torn on that one. He did throw over Avila’s head (what happened to pegging them someplace harmless?) and if he had slipped…well, that could have been tragic. Besides Carrasco just got the same suspension for the same reason. That said, I agree – it was a fun series. Both teams were extra fired up and that made the outcome anything but certain in all four games. Trout will be back. They can’t play him much now and he needs to play every day. And to the Tigers I say thank you for last night’s win and keep it up against the Rangers. :)

Actually, Russel, it wasn’t the whole afternoon. Ride time was three hours, with about a extra half hour worth of rest spread in there. I am stupidly proud of this, by the way. :)

I don’t think Weave will get the suspension cut down. Carrasco wasn’t able to. He actually threw over Avila’s head, not at it, which is a little bit different, but I don’t agree with throwing at or over the head either. Weave’s accurate, but not perfect and if he’d slipped?? Look at Marlon Byrd this season and that was an accident, a really scary accident. Hit him in the butt or pitch him inside and make him dive by all means, but no literal head hunting please.

In Major League Baseball and other competitive baseball leagues (High School, College, etc.), yes, the pitcher and the catcher you see on the field together are on the same team. But there are also some youth and adult recreational baseball and softball leagues where you pitch to your own team, so in these cases the pitcher and catcher you see on the field together are on different teams. Hope this helps.

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